North to the Future
by fembuck
Summary: When Alice left, Jill headed north in search of her. She found people that needed her and decided to stay. Claire follows Alice's advice and heads north. She finds Jill Valentine. Claire/Jill, femslash
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** North to the Future  
**Author:** Janine  
**Fandom:** Resident Evil (movies)  
**Pairing:** Jill Valentine/Claire Redfield  
**Rating:** PG, eventually R  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in the story.  
**Summary:** When Alice left, Jill headed north in search of her. She found people that needed her and decided to stay. Claire follows Alice's advice and heads north. She finds Jill Valentine.

---

**PART I**

Jill felt her eyes begin to close as she stared at the computer screen in front of her, and immediately began to fight the impulse to nod off. Forcing her eyes open unnaturally wide she struggled in her chair so that she was sitting with her back straight against the back of the seat. She knew that the others had become more relaxed as time had worn on and their little patch of earth remained safe and free of infection, but she wasn't one to take things for granted and when she was on watch she _would be_ on watch.

Scrubbing her hands over her face before brushing some dark strands of hair out of her eyes, Jill reached for a nearby glass of water hoping that it would help restore some wakefulness to her. What she could have really used was a strong black cup of coffee, or at the very least a cold Red Bull, but both of those items were luxuries that had run out a long time ago.

Jill paused as her fingers brushed the glass.

She wasn't alone in the room.

Her left hand crept to her waist where she always kept a Walther P99 strapped, and she spun around in her seat to look behind her.

"Jumpy," Dr. Dobson commented holding up her hands as Jill's fingers closed around the handle of her gun. "You almost fell asleep," the doctor continued pointing at Jill. "I saw your head dip."

"Almost only counts in horse-shoes and hand grenades," Jill murmured glaring at the doctor before her gaze relaxed a little and she leaned back against the back of the chair, crossing her arms over her chest as Dobson moved over to one of the consoles a few meters away from Jill.

"Just when I think you've run out of quaint little platitudes…" Dr. Dobson responded shaking her head as her fingers moved expertly over the keyboard in front of her. "So, has there been anything exciting on the monitors?"

"I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice," Jill replied, her eyes glancing over at the screen she had been staring at so diligently before returning to the good doctor.

There hadn't been anything interesting on the monitors in years, to the great relief of them all.

"Just a note?" Dobson asked staring at the screen for a moment longer before nodding to herself and turning her full attention to Jill once more. "I must be slipping."

"The world needs pessimists you know," Jill began glaring once more. "You optimists sleep better at night sure, but just remember, the parachute was just as necessary an invention as the airplane."

Dr. Dobson braced her hands on the counter behind her and considered Jill for a moment before smiling and inclining her head. "Right you are," she said affably. "I know that I for one sleep better knowing that you're on watch."

"No sarcasm," Jill commented smirking. She knew that she had a reputation for being somewhat humorless, but that didn't mean she actually was.

Dr. Dobson shook her head seriously. "What you mean to us all is no joke."

Jill was silent; her eyes holding Dobson's after the woman finished speaking. She wasn't great at showing her feelings but what the doctor said to her meant something to her and she wanted the other woman to know it.

"Thanks doc," Jill said smiling gently as she averted her gaze. "Honestly, I hope for all of our sakes that I'm wasting my time here night after night but …"

Jill's head snapped to the side as an alarm sounded from her station. She spun around in her seat a second later her fingers flying over the keyboard in front of her and she toggled from security sensor to security sensor.

After a few harried moments Jill paused on one screen and stared at the image on it intensely.

"Trouble?" Dr. Dobson asked anxiously.

"That depends on the condition of the cargo," Jill responded distractedly as she watched the large object move rapidly towards their location, her fingers moving back towards the keyboard and hitting a few keys.

"What is it? What are you doing? What's going on?" Dobson asked rapidly, peering over Jill's shoulder to look at the monitor though she was only vaguely aware of what she was looking at.

"Turning on the lights," Jill responded reaching for a nearby microphone and dragging it even closer to her. "That splotch right there," she continued taking a second to briefly point at the screen. "That's a helicopter. We're going to have visitors very soon."

She then turned on the microphone and ordered the security force they had assembled years ago to take their positions.

She hoped that they had a clean group of survivors heading their way; that people they could actually help had found their way to them, but she'd be prepared for the worst.

As usual.

---

Claire held her hands up as she stepped out of the helicopter, her eyes scanning the area around her, taking in the very well organized and well armed force of people around her. She'd never been so happy to have a gun pointed at her in her life. She hadn't seen a group this well outfitted in years. Alice was right. Alaska was the place to go.

"Any infected in there?"

Claire turned at the sound of the question, her eyes immediately locking on an impressive looking brunette woman who was striding confidently towards her, the group of officers in front of her parting for her like the sea at Moses' command.

"No," Claire responded keeping her gaze steady on the dark-haired woman.

"You'll all have to submit to a medical examination," Jill said coming to a stop a few meters away from Claire, studying the redhead who seemed to be in charge of the group.

"Anything you want." Claire was too desperate to be proud. If being poked and prodded until the dark-haired woman was content was the price for a warm bed, hot food and a bath, she would gladly pay it and she knew that all of her group would happily pay it as well.

"Jill Valentine," Jill said gesturing to herself.

"Claire Redfield," Claire responded standing right where she was.

"I'll have food and clean clothes sent to the holding area," Jill said, holding Claire's gaze for a moment longer. "Follow Rufus, he'll take you where you need to go," she added a few seconds later, nodding towards a man who appeared at her side.

Claire hadn't even noticed his approach she was so focused on Jill.

"Thank you." The gratitude Claire felt was clear in her voice as Jill turned to walk away.

"Don't thank me yet," Jill said over her shoulder. "If any of you have anything that looks even remotely like a bite mark on you I'll put the bullets in your heads myself."

And with that she continued back towards the building.

---

"They're all clean," Dr. Dobson declared as Jill came to a stop beside her chair glancing over her shoulder at print outs she couldn't understand.

Jill nodded, a smile coming to her face a moment later.

"I think you just showed an emotion, my dear," Dobson commented smiling as well.

They had truly been beginning to feel like they were all that was left.

"A pessimist might walk around with an umbrella, but we're just as happy to see the sun shining bright in the sky," Jill replied. "Thanks for putting in the overtime."

---

_Apartment P306_

Claire smiled widely, a delighted laugh escaping from her throat as the opening cords of The Beatles' _Here Comes the Sun_ began to emerge from the small boom box she had just turned on.

They had radio that actually played music. There was a station somewhere on the compound. In a few minutes, when the song ended a DJ would probably come on and make bad jokes. _Shelter, food, water, clean clothes, and music_, Claire thought deliriously.

Lying there, scrubbed clean and full for the first time in years, Claire closed her eyes. She stretched and allowed the sound of the music to flow over, a pleasant warmth bubbling in her stomach as she did. Claire continued to listen and the warmth began to spread out through the rest of her body. Her body relaxed. Muscles that she hadn't even been aware were tense, released, and for the first time in longer than she could imagine, Claire relaxed, and remembered what it felt like to be a human being instead of a survivor.

She reached out for the volume control to turn it up as loud as it could go but controlled the urge. K-Mart was asleep in the bedroom and she didn't want to wake the girl up. After the years of constant fear and barely subsistence living the virtual riches that they now found themselves surrounded by had delighted but also somewhat overwhelmed the teenager. That combined with the deaths of Carlos, Mikey, L.J, Betty and most of their caravan – not to mention losing Alice – had caused the girl to practically glue herself to Claire's side, and while the redhead would have liked some alone time after years of almost constantly being surrounded by other people, she wanted K-Mart to feel safe and get some rest more.

So instead of turning up the volume, Claire picked up the small stereo, holding it gingerly as if she were afraid that if she handled it to roughly it would break, and carried it from the table it had been resting on over to the small coffee table in front of the couch. Carefully placing the stereo down, she then splayed herself out over the couch and closed her eyes allowing the music to wash over her.

---

**Two Hours Later …**

_Balcony_

"You should come back inside."

Claire turned at the sound of the voice. She recognized it straight away as the woman from the landing area.

As much fun as lounging had been, after years on the road constantly moving, she found that she couldn't stay stationary for long and after about half an hour of listening to the music she had turned off the radio and left her room to go for a little walk. When she'd returned, she'd found K-Mart awake and waiting for her. She'd told the teen that she could stay in her room for as long as she wanted, but K-Mart had been without her own space for a long time as well, and once she'd gotten some sleep, she'd been interested in seeing her own room.

As Claire had made her way back from the blonde's room she'd come across a balcony with a nice view of the surrounding landscape and had gone out on it to enjoy the chilled, fresh air.

"I never realized how much I hated the desert until I was out of it," Claire commented turning around to face Jill, her arms wrapping around herself as she did.

The truth was she _was_ cold, but the feeling was also invigorating and she didn't quite want to give it up.

"Come on inside," Jill said a few moments later. "I've got something that will help warm you up," she continued pulling her arm out from behind her where it had been resting, a bottle of amber liquid in her hand.

"Oh fuck," Claire groaned the exclamation almost sexual in its delight. "I haven't had a drink in …" Claire paused searching her mind for the last time they had managed to get their hands on some booze. "Jesus, it's gotta be going on two years now. Tell me this isn't all a dream."

Jill laughed lightly. "It's not a dream. You'll learn that as soon as you get your chore schedule," the dark-haired woman responded. "However, you can consider the next few days a vacation."

"What's that word again?" Claire asked as she followed Jill back inside.

Jill smiled.

Claire paused suddenly, her eyes piercing Jill's as the brunette turned to look at her questioningly.

"You don't have any cigarette's do you?" Claire asked desperate hope radiating out from her.

Jill smirked. "Saw this in a movie once, always wanted to do it," she said reaching into her jacket pocket to pull out a cigarette holder, opening the silver case and handing one over to Claire. A moment later she gallantly produced a lighter to light the redhead's smoke. "Here," Jill continued holding out the flat case to Claire as the other woman exhaled and smiled brightly, a look of ecstasy on her face. "I hardly smoke, you'll probably get more use out these than I will, and they're rare enough around here that they shouldn't go to waste." She'd only held onto the pack because it was a nice incentive for people when she wanted them to do a job they really didn't want to do.

"Seriously?" Claire asked nonetheless reaching out for the holder and tucking it into her pants pocket. When Jill didn't yell 'not' or hold out her hand to receive the case back, Claire shook her head happily. "Honestly, are you sure I'm awake? I'm pretty sure you're too perfect to be true."

Jill smiled, she liked this Claire Redfield.

---

_Apartment P306_

Claire leaned against the back of the couch, her eyes drooping slightly as she stared across at the brunette occupying the arm chair opposite her. She could feel the alcohol she had consumed taking effect and for the first time in years didn't fight her body's impulse to relax.

"Are you in charge around here?" Claire asked drawing her legs up onto the couch and settling into a more comfortable position.

"Commander, not Chief," Jill responded. "We've got something of a functioning civilian government. I just look after the guns and let other people worry about agriculture, taxes, sanitation and a thousand other things it would drive me crazy to keep track of."

"Mm," Claire murmured. "A couple hours ago I was in charge of all of those things. Of course agriculture was inspecting cans of food we'd scavenged for holes and signs of tainting. Taxes were making sure everyone foraged and took turns digging the latrines. Sanitation was making sure we had latrines, and everything else was pretty much a matter of luck."

"Your luck must have been looking up. That helicopter was an extremely lucky find," Jill commented.

"It wasn't luck," Claire responded her features becoming serious as her eyes lost focus. "It was," she continued searching for words that could describe Alice and failing miserably. "It was," Claire repeated at a loss, "Alice," she finished lamely focusing on Jill once more as she shook her head slightly.

"Alice," Jill repeated softly her mind filling with images of the woman she had once known, instinctively knowing that her Alice was the one Claire had to be talking about.

After Alice had disappeared she'd heard rumors that had led her to believe that perhaps the blonde had gone north so she went north as well. She hadn't found Alice, but when she reached Alaska she found people who needed her, and she stayed.

Claire stared at Jill trying to force her mind to focus. There was something in the other woman's eyes much like she had seen in Carlos's when Alice had arrived at their caravan.

"You're Carlos's Jill, aren't you?" Claire asked finally. He'd never mentioned her last name when he had spoken of Jill, but looking at the woman across from her Claire couldn't imagine that there could be another Jill out there more capable than the one she was sitting with.

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Jill responded her lips quirking before her features became sober again. "Where is…" Jill began.

Claire dropped her eyes and Jill dropped the question.

"And Alice?" the brunette asked a few seconds later.

"She was fine when we left, but …" Claire trailed off remembering the zombie horde that had surrounded the shack they had followed the helicopter too. Even if Alice had managed to find what she was looking for there, Claire couldn't fathom how she would have escaped from the army of infected surrounding the place.

"So you didn't see her die?" Jill asked.

Claire shook her head and Jill nodded in response.

"She's alive then."

"How can you be sure?" Claire asked remembering the infected mob once more.

"I can't be," Jill acknowledged her eyes skittering over to Claire for a second before she looked away again, a far away look coming into her gaze. "But after all I saw her do, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt," the brunette finished.

Claire nodded and they found themselves in silence for a few minutes. Jill took the time to top up both of their glasses.

"To Alice," Claire said, picking up her newly filled glass.

Jill smiled and lifted her own.

"To Alice," Jill toasted, "Wherever she is."

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** North to the Future  
**Author:** Janine  
**Fandom:** Resident Evil (movies)  
**Pairing:** Jill Valentine/Claire Redfield  
**Rating:** R (sexual activity, language)  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in the story.  
**Summary:** When Alice left, Jill headed north in search of her. She found people that needed her and decided to stay. Claire follows Alice's advice and heads north. She finds Jill Valentine.

---

**PART II**

Jill's head was light and her body relaxed and languid in a way it hadn't been in a very long time, when she raised herself from the cushions of Claire's chair to stand on slightly unsteady legs.

She looked over at the lazily lounging redhead, a small smile touching her lips as Claire rolled her head to the side to regard her. The movement seemed to take way too much effort, and Jill's small smile turned into a large one as Claire blinked up at her sleepily.

She was beautiful in repose.

Jill closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before giving her head a little shake. It had been a long time since she had found herself so captivated by another's presence, but this wasn't really the time to be having such thoughts. She'd just met Claire, they were both drunk, and just because her trauma had dissipated enough to be thinking about how the lighting in the room brought out the green of Claire's eyes, it didn't mean that the other woman was in a similar head space, or that if she was that Jill would be someone she'd be interested in.

It had been a nice evening, and it had been a very, very long time since she had had a nice evening, so she decided that she would preserve the memory and leave it at that.

"My bed is calling," Jill sighed, her head turning to the side to look at the door to Claire's room.

She had a busy day ahead of her and would need what rest she could salvage during what was left of the night if she was going to get it all done. As it was, she was sure she was going to be nursing an impressive hangover, and she certainly didn't need to add sleep deprivation on top of that.

"Sleep tight," the brunette continued a moment later, turning her attention back to Claire, who had managed to move into an upright position.

Jill's eyes wanted to linger on Claire's figure for a while longer, but she forced herself to look away. Delaying her exit wouldn't make leaving any easier; it would just make the aching inside of her more acute.

"Tomorrow's the last opportunity you'll have to sleep in for a while."

With that, Jill reluctantly turned her back on the redhead once more and started towards the door.

Claire was still for a moment, contemplatively watching the sway of Jill's hips as she sauntered towards the door, and then she was on her feet stumbling towards the brunette as quickly as she could while remaining upright.

"Hey," Claire said, reaching out for Jill, her fingers grazing the brunette's wrist just before Jill reached the door.

Jill stopped, her gaze dropping to her wrist which Claire's fingers were gently resting against, and then turned her head so that she was facing the redhead, a dark eyebrow lifting high on her forehead as she did.

"I," Claire began, her words leaving her as Jill's clear, blue eyes regarded curiously. "I was," she started haltingly before faltering again as her brain failed to find words to express what she was thinking and feeling.

Claire sighed deeply.

"Oh, fuck it," she muttered a moment later, and then she was swaying forward, her fingers tightening around Jill's wrist as her lips pressed firmly against the other woman's.

In her life before the world went to shit, she never would have been so forward. But she was drunk, she'd barely been able to keep her eyes from raking over Jill's body all night, and it had been far too long since her lips had touched anyone else's. She didn't care if it made things awkward or made her seem desperate, because she was. She really wanted to touch Jill, and to be touched in return, and the only way that was going to happen was if she made her desires known.

Claire brushed her lips against Jill's plump bottom one, and moved her hands to the brunette waist. Propriety could kiss her ass. She was going to try her damnedst to get laid.

Jill's eyes fluttered closed at the press of Claire's lips. A soft moan escaped her mouth as Claire's tongue played against her lips, and her free hand lifted to cup the redhead's jaw, holding her steady as Jill kissed her back. Claire tasted heavenly and she didn't want to let her go.

_Fuck sleep, _Jill thought as her lips parted and Claire's tongue slipped into her mouth. _Fuck sensibility_. She'd been entertaining fantasies about something along these lines happening since her second drink. After finishing off the bottle she was already going to be messy in the morning, so being a little messier wouldn't hurt. Besides, Dobson had been telling her she needed to get laid for months, and she figured that at least once in her life she should listen to her doctor. _Especially_, Jill thought, _when following her advice felt so good._

"Are you sure?" Jill asked somewhat breathlessly, when Claire's lips pulled away from hers.

She was almost scared to hear Claire's answer, but she had to ask.

"This is the only decision I've made in five years that I'm completely sure about," Claire replied, holding Jill's eyes.

Claire was shaking slightly, Jill could feel the movement through their joined hands, but she didn't say anything about it. She understood the other woman's reaction. The kiss had left her a little unsteady as well. She knew that it was lonely on the road and even lonelier if you were the leader. It had been a long time since she'd met someone she wanted to be with, and even longer since she'd actually considered giving in. She was a little nervous too.

"Oh thank God," Jill murmured, a small smile touching her lips as her thumb stroked Claire's cheek lightly.

Claire smiled back, and then Jill leaned forward and brought their lips together once more.

---

Claire shivered as Jill's naked body settled against her. When she'd first lain down, she'd been almost overwhelmed by the heavenly feeling of fresh, sweet smelling linen against her skin, but the silky press of Jill's body against her was beyond heavenly.

On all of those cold, lonely desert nights, she had forced herself not to think about how nice it would be to feel another person's body pressed against her. Even when she managed to find a few brief moments alone to herself, and her hand would drift to steamy spot between her legs, she never let herself fantasize – not after the first few times she found release with a sweet image in her mind, only to open her eyes and find herself in a dingy washroom stall with nothing but her own rapidly cooling, sticky fingers for company.

She forced herself not to think about a lot of things that used to comfort and sustain her while they were on the road, because she knew that longing for them would not keep them from being denied her. Cigarettes had been the one indulgence she'd allowed herself on a consistent basis on the road, and she was certain she only allowed that because she needed _something_, and because they weren't something she had cared at all about in her previous life.

Slim, work roughened fingers slid up her thigh and Claire gasped, her eyes squeezing shut as Jill's hand followed a path up her body to her breast. Jill's lips pressed softly against the column of her throat, kissing a line up it until the brunette's lips found her own, and Claire mewled softly at the touch.

Pink, swollen lips parted as Claire breathed in roughly, and when Jill's lips pressed against hers once again, swallowing her breath, Claire tasted salt and knew that she was crying.

Warm fingers covered her breast, massaging it gently, almost reverently as Jill's thumb brushed against the turgid peak of her nipple.

Claire knew that the other woman could taste her tears, but Jill said nothing and Claire was grateful for it. She wasn't usually one to cry during sex, but even in her state of excitement she was aware that what they were doing together then wasn't _just_ sex. Jill's hands and lips were bringing her pleasure, but they were also breathing new life into her, creating a glorious bounty of feeling that had been absent in her for so long. In Jill's arms, resting on clean sheets, surround by the brunette's warmth and sweet scent, Claire felt something that had been become more and more elusive for her as the years wore on. As Alice had given her hope that she had everyone she had come to love might not die starved, starving, or torn to pieces in the desert, Jill now gave her hope that there was more to live than just caring on. Jill now reminded her of the beauty if life. _That_ brought tears to Claire's eyes, _that_ filled her with a joy and ecstasy that she couldn't keep contained.

Strong fingers dipped into the wet heat between Claire's legs as Jill's teeth scrapped against the soft, sweaty flesh of the redhead's jaw, a deep groan escaping from Jill's throat at the feel of Claire's arousal.

Claire's hips lifted into her hand, and Jill pressed her thumb to the slick, hard nub between Claire's legs, drinking in redhead's pleased cry as a dying man would water.

It felt _so_ good to touch.

Slowly, Jill pressed a single finger inside of Claire. She didn't have to be so careful, Claire was wet and it wasn't the redhead's first time, but Jill wanted to savor the sensation of being inside of the other woman. She wanted to feel Claire's wetness, wetness that she had inspired. She wanted to _feel_ Claire's velvety soft walls pulling at her finger, drawing her in. She wanted to build Claire up, slow and sweet before finally allowing her to crash into ecstasy. She wanted Claire to need her as much as she needed the redhead.

Blunted nails dug into the pale flesh of Jill's upper arm as Claire clutched at her, and Jill began to move inside of the redhead, sawing her finger in and out as her lips trailed over Claire's neck once more, moving down over her collarbone and the plump swell of her breast until her lips closed around the hard, pink tip of a nipple.

Claire tipped her head back as the moist warmth of Jill's mouth engulfed her. She strained into the pillow beneath her, heels digging into the mattress under her, and cried out when Jill eased another finger inside of her. One of her hands gripped Jill's arm tightly, while the other alternately scratched and balled up the spread beneath her. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes, her stomach muscles clenched and her body twisted, her hips rising as her body burned.

She felt her climax approaching and tried to calm her breathing. It was too soon. She wanted it to last longer. She wasn't a seventeen year old in a cheap hotel room on Prom Night. She should have been able to last longer. But, with Jill's mouth at her breast, and her strong fingers moving between her legs, Claire stood no chance of holding back the flood and her pleasure continued to rise.

"Jill."

Claire didn't know that she was going to speak, but there was no denying that the softly panted name had fallen from her lips. A moment after she spoke, her nipple fell from between Jill's lips and seconds later Jill's beautiful face swam before Claire. Jill gazed down at the redhead, lips swollen and slightly parted, watching Claire raptly as they strained into each other.

Claire reached out for Jill, her lips parting to emit a small choked sound as her eyes widened and her inner-walls clenched.

Jill dipped her head down and captured Claire's lips. Jill's thumb found Claire's clit again as they kissed, and pressed against the slippery button, rubbing it firmly as her fingers curved inside of Claire.

Claire tipped her head back, ripping her lips away from Jill's and her hips drove up, burying Jill's fingers deep inside of her as she came with her lips parted in a silent cry of bliss.

**To be continued ...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** North to the Future  
**Author:** Janine  
**Fandom:** Resident Evil (movies)  
**Pairing:** Jill Valentine/Claire Redfield  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in the story.  
**Summary:** When Alice left, Jill headed north in search of her. She found people that needed her and decided to stay. Claire follows Alice's advice and heads north. She finds Jill Valentine.

**PART III**

**Epilogue**

_Five Months Later_

Jill tipped her head back, her eyes closing momentarily as she stretched her neck out before returning her eyes to the bank of monitors in front of her. The graveyard shift had always been tedious bordering on mind-numbingly boring, but she'd been finding it even more tiresome now that she had someone waiting for her in her quarters.

Long, tapered fingers ran through Jill's short black hair, and she wondered if Claire would still be awake when she made it back to her room.

For the last month, it had really been 'their' room, but Claire hadn't officially moved in, and Jill doubted that she would for a while. They had both been on their own for a long time, and there was a sort of security in them having their own rooms, even if Claire's didn't get used very often.

Besides, Jill wasn't really ready to be a surrogate Mom and when K-Mart had her night terrors and came running for Claire, Jill was more than happy for the redhead to have a place to take the young blonde that wasn't Jill's room.

Claire had had a relaxing effect on her, but Jill still wasn't anything that approached maternal.

"Is anything good on?"

Jill smirked and swiveled around in her chair.

"Golden Girls," she deadpanned, holding Claire's dancing green eyes. "You know I'm a sucker for Bea Arthur."

Claire smiled at that and pushed away from the doorway she had comfortably been watching Jill from for the past few minutes.

"You should be in bed," Jill drawled as Claire moved towards her.

"Yes, mother," Claire sassed, rolling her eyes at her lover as she came to a stop beside her.

Reaching out, Claire swept Jill's dark bangs to the side and then leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. She made a move to pull back then, but Jill made a faint sound of protest and lifted her hand, threading her fingers behind Claire's neck to pull her head back down so that she could taste the redhead's lips.

"You should still be in bed," Jill commented when she drew her hand back and freed Claire to stand fully once more.

"I know, I was on my way," Claire sighed, reaching out to play with Jill's bangs as she looked down at her lover. "I finally got K-Mart to sleep, but since I had to pass by this way, I thought I'd say good night."

"Is she okay?" Jill asked.

She wasn't particularly maternal, but she liked the girl well enough. She knew a lot about firearms, and she was interested in the bases defenses and military strategy, which Jill appreciated. As far as teenage girls went, K-Mart was the most tolerable kind.

"Mm," Claire hummed, her eyes drifting away for a second as she considered the brunette's question. "The nightmares are becoming less frequent, and less intense. Being here, the security of it, the consistency of routine, it's helping her. But only time will see them disappear completely, if that."

Claire sighed again, and then leaned down to press her lips against Jill's forehead once more before finally taking a step back from her lover.

"Wake me when you get in," she said, her eyes holding Jill's. She knew that her lover would be tempted to disregard the statement and let her sleep knowing that she needed the rest, but it left her faintly restless when Jill was on the graveyard shift and she never slept very well until she knew that Jill was back and safely in bed beside her.

"Yes, Ma'am," Jill replied, lifting her hand to salute the redhead.

A slow smile worked its way across Claire's lips, and she affectionately murmured, "You're such a badass," before moving towards the door.

Jill watched her for a few seconds, a small, content smile playing across her lips, and then she swiveled around in her chair once more to face the bank of monitors in front of her.

"Goodnight," Jill called, crossing her legs at the ankle as Claire's footsteps moved further away from her.

"Goodni …" Claire began to say, but her parting word was cut off by an alarm sounding as the monitors in front of Jill suddenly came alive. "What's that?" Claire asked, turning around and quickly making her way back over to her lover, who was typing quickly at the keyboard in front of her.

"Perimeter motion detectors," Jill grumbled as her hands flew over the keyboard. "We've got company."

---

Jill lifted her hand in the air, holding it steady for a moment before quickly drawing it down, giving the signal to open the gates to the compound. She heard the guards around her take the safeties off of their weapons, and as her hand dropped to rest on the sidearm at her hip, she could make out the guards lifting their weapons and readying them out of the corner of her eye.

A few seconds later the gates opened to reveal a large truck parked at the threshold, and as the hulking machine roared into motion, Jill's fingers wrapped around the hilt of her weapon and beside her she saw Claire do the same.

---

The door to the truck was flung open and a slight black woman hopped out, her eyes immediately locking on Jill who was standing slightly in front of the rest of the guards. Jill's gun was drawn and trained on the strange woman, and upon seeing it the stranger froze where she was. The strangers gaze shifted to Claire, who was standing just behind Jill, held on the redhead for a moment, and then she turned to look behind her at something in the truck.

"She is not so friendly. And her friend looks meaner."

The strangers' words were slightly accented, _African,_ Jill thought, but she couldn't be sure.

"And to think we come bearing gifts."

The voice that emerged from within the truck was male, and a few seconds after the disembodied reply reached Jill's ears, a large figure appeared in the doorway of the truck.

Jill took the safety off of her weapon and tightened her grip on the handle.

"I told you I was the charming one," the male continued, hopping out of the truck. A roguish smile was plastered on his lips as he looked at the pretty black woman beside him. They looked at each other for another moment, and then the male angled his head to the side, directing his gaze out at Jill and the army of guards behind her.

"Oh my god."

The exhalation came from Claire, and despite herself, Jill took her eyes off of the newcomers momentarily to look at her lover as Claire stared open-mouthed at the man who had just emerged from the truck.

Claire was blinking rapidly and Jill could see tears forming in her eyes. Her muscles tensed in a moment of emotional confusion. The soldier inside of her told her to hold her position and keep her head in the game, but the woman inside of her saw the woman she loved in some sort of turmoil and wanted to reach out to her and comfort her.

However, before Jill could act, or even say a word, Claire was in motion, moving quickly towards the newcomers, her gun planted firmly back in its holster.

"Claire!" Jill called immediately. A trace of panic was event in her voice, but it was no good. Claire was running towards the man and by the time Jill jerked into motion after her, Claire had already thrown her arms around him and was being enveloped in the man's meaty arms.

"Don't worry," the newcomer female said, watching Jill as Jill looked between her and Claire and the large man with a faint look of horror on her face. "We're clean. There's no cause for concern."

Jill nodded but said nothing, her eyes still firmly planted on Claire's back. She heard what the woman was saying, but it didn't have much impact on her. She's heard people say that they were clean before. They weren't. Words meant nothing to her; it was just noise until she had a report from Dobson in her hand confirming that they were clean.

"I'm Sheva Alomar," the woman continued, drawing Jill's attention over to her once more. "And that's Chris Redfield," she went on, jerking her thumb in the direction of the large man.

Jill's eyes widened and her posture relaxed slightly as her eyes tracked over to Claire once more. She didn't like it that Claire had thrown caution to the wind and rushed her brother, not knowing for certain whether he was clean or not, but she did understand the impulse. Claire had talked to her a lot about Chris as they settled into their relationship, and she knew that the two of them were close. Claire had always maintained that her brother was alive and out there somewhere, blowing up infected scum, but Jill knew that it had to be a huge relief to see him safe and sound, that it had to be comforting to feel his chest rising and falling against her. If she hadn't seen Claire in months, let alone in years, and then the redhead suddenly materialized in front of her, she knew that she wouldn't have given a fuck either and would have gathered Claire up in her arms the first chance she got.

"Jill Valentine," Jill said, really focusing her attention on Sheva for the first time since Sheva had emerged from the truck. "How did you find us?"

Claire's group was the first they encountered since Jill had found her way to the Alaskan compound. They didn't go out of their way to hide, and they were open to expanding their ranks, but they didn't broadcast their location and the book Alice had found that led Claire's group to them had been the only one that Jill knew of.

Sheva smiled.

"We ran into a friend of yours," she began before pausing, her brow creasing a little in thought. "More than one of them actually," she continued causing Jill to lift a dark eyebrow at her. How _mysterious_.

"Does this friend have a name?" Jill inquired, thinking darkly that all of the few friends she'd had out in the world were long dead.

"Alice."

The response came from Chris and Jill looked over at him to find him standing with his arm now loosely draped around Claire's shoulder as the redhead stared up at him. At that however, Claire looked away from her brother and over towards Jill, a large smile spreading across her face as she did.

_Alice_, Jill thought, turning the name over in her mind. Of course, it was Alice.

"She said you had facilities up here that could make good use of this," Chris continued, reaching into his pocket to remove a small vial.

"What is it?" Jill asked moving closer, holstering her weapon as she walked. There was no point in pretending that she was going to shoot her girlfriends brother if he looked at her the wrong way. Claire would never let her hear the end of it if she so much as winged him.

When she reached Chris, Claire moved out from under his arm and moved to stand beside Jill, slipping her hand into Jill's pointedly as the brunette leaned forward to get a better look at the vile in Chris's hand.

In her previous life, when she was still a rapidly rising member of S.T.A.R.S. Jill never would have allowed for such familiarity on the clock, but there was no need to keep up appearances these days. Everyone on the compound knew about her relationship with Claire, and she had loosened up enough over the past few months that most of the guards around her felt friendly enough to jokingly refer to her as "Mrs. Redfield" when they weren't running drills.

Chris looked between the two of them as Jill squinted at the small bottle in his hand, and then looked over at his sister and raised an eyebrow.

Claire smirked and shrugged as if to say, '_So what, this time, I got the girl,_' and Chris smirked and nodded his head, turning Claire's silent look with a silent, _'Way to go, champ. Way to go'._

"Alice's blood," Sheva said, not missing the exchange between the Redfield's or Jill and Claire, but not particularly caring either. "You know, she's bonded with the T-virus at the molecular level. Well, it seems that the blood in that vial, Alice's blood, can be used to synthesize an antidote, or possibly even a cure."

"A cure," Jill murmured softly. "Well, she's just full of surprises," she continued, drawing back now that she knew what she was looking at.

Jill looked between Sheva and Chris for a moment, and then sighed.

"As you can see, the compound is made up of the main campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. When news of the virus first started spreading, the students and most of the staff panicked and ran … most of them, right into hot zones. Those that stayed recognized the … utility of the location and modifications were made for defensive purposes," Jill continued, gesturing vaguely at the gates that had been erected to protect to the dorms and the main mess hall. "The science labs are in working condition, though we've redirected power away from them towards more vital systems. Power and equipment won't be a problem, and we have medical staff, but we're a little short on molecular biologists."

"All we need is the equipment," Chris replied, relieved to hear that the labs hadn't been torn apart for scraps. "We brought our own doctor."

With that he turned around and walked the small distance back to the truck. He disappeared inside for a moment and then reappeared, dragging a distinctly unhappy looking woman out behind him.

"Dr. Annette Birkin," Chris said, tossing the doctor forward.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Jill drawled not even really looking at the woman.

She'd come across the name when she and Carlos were researching Umbrella, looking for a way into the corporation so that they could rescue Alice. Annette Birkin was one of the terribly clever scientists that had helped to destroy the world. They needed her at the moment, but it didn't stop Jill from wanting to pistol whip her.

"How many more of you are there?" Jill asked looking between Sheva and Chris.

The guards had followed her lead and lowered their weapons. It was late, and there was no point in them standing around the quad in the middle of the night like it was Frosh week. She needed to wrap things up out here, and get her men back into bed and the newcomers into quarantine. They could share their hopes and dreams with each other later.

"Six," Sheva replied. "Her daughter and a few strays we found on the way up here."

Jill nodded once.

"Fine, let's get you all checked out and cleaned up."

---

"So, that's Chris," Jill said softly, her eyes on the Sheva, Chris and the rest of their group as Rufus led them towards the main building.

"Be nice," Claire whispered looping her arm through Jill's as they began to walk, trailing behind the larger group for privacy.

"I'm always nice," Jill replied with a straight face, her body relaxing as the warmth from Claire's body seeped into her side.

Claire laughed at that, and Jill couldn't be offended. They both knew that at first she was rarely nice, at least to anyone who weren't named Claire Redfield. She'd loosened up a bit over the past few months, but she could still be a high-riding bitch, and was often aloof with others at best. It was just her way.

Cool fingers brushed against her cheek, and Jill turned her head to the side, holding Claire's eyes fondly for a moment before Claire leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. It wasn't really the time to indulge, but Jill was contemplating brushing her lips chastely against Claire's in return when she noticed a figure fall back from the group up ahead and sighed.

"Nice," Claire murmured, having noticed her brother break away from the group up ahead as well.

"You know, it occurs to me that we weren't properly introduced. Chris Redfield," the large man said, holding out his hand as he reached the two women. "And you are?"

Jill sighed woefully, but tried to control the urge to glare at him balefully for Claire's sake.

"I'm sure you heard me earlier," she replied.

Chris smiled at that and turned to glance at Claire, who leaned into Jill and whispered in her ear.

"Jill Valentine," Jill said, giving into the urge to glare as Chris shot her an amused look, no doubt realizing that Claire had shamed her into answering.

"Nice to meet you, Jill," he said offering his hand to Jill and giving it a firm shake when she extended hers and grasped his strongly.

They shook hands and then Jill drew hers back, looking miserable. She'd thought that she would be able to avoid in-laws.

The three of them walked in silence for a few seconds before Chris looked down at Jill's hip and whistled.

"Nice gun," he murmured appreciatively.

Jill felt herself warm up to him somewhat at this comment. It was a nice gun and she liked talking about it.

"Yes, it is," she agreed offering him a small smile though she didn't offer to show it to him.

Chris released a puff of air, and turned to look at his sister, murmuring, "Tough crowd".

Claire grinned at him and shrugged. She couldn't really say that Jill was more bark than bite. Honestly, her lover had a pretty impressive and vicious bite. But Chris wasn't exactly a shrinking violet himself and Claire knew that he could handle Jill giving him the cold shoulder for a while. Chris was intelligent, capable, and extremely experienced and once Jill got a chance to know him, Claire was sure that they would get along fine. Jill liked competence and responded well to people who could use the NATO phonetic without a second thought. She and Chris would be pals soon enough.

"I had a P99 in Africa," Chris continued, trying again.

"What happened to it?" Jill asked, being drawn into conversation despite herself as they entered the building.

"When it ran out of bullets, Sheva used the handle to beat in the head of an infected. It's buried in some corpse's brain cavity now," Chris sighed. He'd really liked that gun.

"You should have taken it back," Jill said a little disparagingly. You never left a gun behind. Never.

Chris sighed again. "It was really wedged in there. Sheva hits pretty hard."

Jill smirked. She was going to have to talk to Sheva when she got out of quarantine.

---

Claire moaned softly, and stretched her limbs out as she felt Jill's arms wrap around her and her lover's lips press against her shoulder. After handing Chris and the rest of his group over to Dr. Dobson to examine, Jill, in typical Valentine fashion, had returned to finish the rest of her watch. Claire had stayed in quarantine for awhile after Jill had left not quite ready to leave Chris. However, when she'd started to yawn every few seconds and collapsed against his side with her head resting on his shoulder, he'd shooed her away to bed.

She wasn't sure that she'd be able to sleep, but almost as soon as her head had hit the pillow, she'd fallen into an exhausted slumber. She felt like she'd only been asleep for minutes, but she didn't mind being woken up. She wanted to see Jill, and she was glad that the other woman had remembered her promise.

"How'd it go?" Jill asked, as Claire shifted in her arms so that they were face to face and then snuggled against her front.

"Everyone checked out was fine by the time I left. A few of the people they picked up were in pretty rough condition. Susanne has them on I.V. drips now, and she wants to keep them under observation for a few days, but there are no serious injuries," Claire sighed, brushing her lips lightly against Jill's.

"Chris?" Jill asked, relaxing into the bedding as Claire's hand slipped under her tank top to nestle against warmth of her stomach.

"He and Sheva hadn't been checked when I left," Claire murmured. "But they're fine," she continued, without a hint of doubt in her voice. "If either of them thought there was even the slightest possibility they were infected they never would have come near this place."

Jill tilted her head to the side and accepted Claire's lips as they brushed against hers again, her heart picking up speed as Claire's hands began to crawl a little higher under her shirt.

"Nothing to say to that?" Claire asked surprised.

She loved Jill with all that she was, but her lover could be a stick in mud sometimes and she had prepared herself for a full level Valentine dressing down about her reckless behavior earlier, and a comment on two about how no one was clear until the blood work came back.

"No," Jill breathed out, shifting a little under Claire's roaming hand. She didn't know Chris Redfield from Adam, but she trusted Claire's judgment.

"Are you going to tell me, I shouldn't have run to him?" Claire inquired curiously, brushing her lips against Jill's neck.

"No," Jill replied breathily.

"Why?" Claire asked curiously, pulling back from her manual assault momentarily.

"Because if we had been parted and I'd suddenly found you again, nothing could have kept me from you."

Jill's voice was whisper soft, but Claire heard her response and her heart clenched powerfully at the emotion behind the softly spoken words. Jill wasn't one for poetically worded romantic declarations. She showed Claire how she felt about her through soft touches and small gestures. When Claire spoke, Jill directed her full attention to her, when Claire was about to leave their room in the morning, Jill brushed her fingers gently against her hand and kissed her cheek. Jill was a woman of action, and her actions spoke loudly to Claire. But every now and again, it was nice to hear words.

Claire leaned down and pressed her lips against Jill's, kissing her deeply, pouring everything that she felt for the other woman into her touch, knowing that Jill needed action from her, not words. The brunette's heart was on her sleeve at the moment, and more talk would only serve to embarrass her, and send her retreating into herself in search of that emotional distance she used to shield herself from others.

"Jill?" Claire panted long moments later as she stared down at Jill with slick, kiss swollen lips.

"Mm," Jill hummed, chewing on her bottom lip as she stared up at Claire with happy eyes.

"I'm going to take your clothes off now."

Jill smiled and arched up, pressing her lips against Claire's once more. She liked that plan of action.

**The End**


End file.
